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Muslim countries around the world must focus on defeating Israel, their common enemy, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani stated at a global Islamic unity conference.

At the 29th International Islamic Unity Conference in Tehran, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, viewed by many as a moderate politician, called on Muslims around the world to focus together on fighting Israel.

Addressing more than 300 Muslim scholars and government officials from 70 countries at the three-day conference on Sunday morning, he also accused Israel of hoping to see the destruction of Syria and of delighting in the Syrian civil war.

Iran backs Syrian President Hafez Assad and his supporters against the Islamic State (ISIS) terrorists and other rebel groups. Rouhani condemned ISIS at the conference for painting a negative impression of Islam through its barbaric violence.

“Does the weakening of Syria benefit its Muslim neighbors? Does the destruction of Syria lead to the strengthening of Turkey, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates or other countries? Who is pleased by Syria’s destruction other than Israel,” Rouhani declared.

Rouhani claimed to be concerned for the disadvantaged while taking the opportunity to denounce Saudi Arabia, a longtime for of Iran. “If you had distributed the same money among poor Muslims, none of them would have gone to bed hungry,” he stated. In fact, for nations such as Saudi Arabia that have Sunni Muslim-majority populations, Iran—which is Shi’a Muslim—has long been viewed as a regional foe.